Escape
by Arisadonna
Summary: After an intense moment with him at Cafe Mew Mew, Ichigo can't figure out her feelings for Ryou. And what about her relationship with Masaya? RxI. MAY BE DISCONTINUED. D:
1. The One Where They Kiss

Escape A RyouxIchigo Story  
  
This is my first shot at a Tokyo Mew Mew Story. It's funny how I've liked TMM for almost a year now and I still haven't written my own fanfiction story on it yet. Well, I've started one now! Yay! And it's based on my favorite couple! Ryou and Ichigo! ::dances with the ryouxichigo shippers:: And if you're a Ryou & Ichigo fan, be sure to visit my website which is the only Ryou/Ichigo shrine out there. It's called True Love so go see it! Nyao! =^.^= http://ichigoryou.cjb.net  
  
I'm sorry everyone, but somehow my story got deleted. x.x So I had to put it up again. If there were any reviews could you please write them again. . Gomen!  
  
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Ichigo walked into the cafe with a smile on her face. She was the first one there and sighed, looking around the empty cafe. The smile on her face grew bigger as she sat down on one of the chairs. She had been on a date with Masaya the day before and had the most wonderful time of her life. She was going to meet him again today after work and was impatient for the moment to arrive. She began to daydream about what could happen that day as she played with the bow at the top of her waitress dress.  
  
Ryou took the final steps to the bottom of the stairs and walked to the door, not noticing Ichigo sitting at the table nearby. He looked out the glass door and stared at the sky. The sun was brightly shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He shooked his head remembering the pouring rain from the night before. He turned and jumped at the sight of Ichigo, which caught him by surprise.  
  
She looked up and gasped, seeing Ryou. "Ryou! What are you doing here!? I mean...Why are you....I mean! Ugh!" She shouted, not expecting to see anyone there.  
  
Ryou rolled his eyes, walking over to her. "You're such an idiot...." He said, flicking her nose. "Get ready. You have lots of work to do, you dumb strawberry..." He turned away, as he began to walk to the kitchen.  
  
Ichigo glared at him. "Ugh! Don't you have anything better to do than just order people around!?" She shouted, standing up. Her wonderful moods were always ruined by Ryou's comments. She just couldn't understand why he was always so rude.  
  
He turned to her, with a serious look on his face. "Ichigo....stop complaining and get to work!" He began to grow annoyed from her complaining. He heard too much of it every day.  
  
"No! I won't work unless you do some work, too! All you do is walk around, ordering people around, then you just go into your room, all alone, walking around...shirtless! And then you come back out later to yell at me some more! I'm tired of you and everyone else being rude all the time!" She whined, pouting. It was time to she showed Ryou that he couldn't treat her that way anymore.  
  
He sighed, not taking anything seriously. He walked to her and put his face very close in front of hers. "Ichigo....just shut up and start working...." He said, not wanting to tell her anymore.  
  
She just crossed her arms and stared at him. "Just try and make me..."She glared at him, tired of his orders.  
  
He smirked at her, with a chuckle. "I don't think that'd be a good idea....You'd just get angrier and complain more than you usually do, which is a lot...and I'm really not in the mood to hear you whine more today..."  
  
Ichigo looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean 'not a good idea'? If you're wanna make me get back to work, then you better do it. Go ahead, I insist..." She said, glaring at him.  
  
Ryou didn't reply. He just grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards him. He moved his face closer to hers and kissed her. She was too shocked to push him away. Instead, she was actually quite surprised when she found herself kissing him back.  
  
Keiichiro walked out of the kitchen with a few plates in his hand. "Hey, Ryou...I think we should open the cafe n--" He dropped the plates, making a loud crash, as he looked up seeing the two.  
  
They both pulled back, staring shocked at Keiichiro. Ichigo was speechless, as she realized what had just happened.  
  
"I....Was I interupting something?" Keiichiro asked, suddenly, trying to keep from laughing. Apparently, the scene was pretty funny to him.  
  
"Um...no! Ichigo..." Ryou said, turning to her. "....Get to work...."  
  
She quickly nodded her head. "....Okay..." She answered, rushing into the kitchen, as she began to blush a deep red.  
  
Keiichiro smiled at Ryou, as he burst into laughter. "Wow....that was....really....unexpecting!" He exclaimed.  
  
Ryou suddenly blushed as hard as he had ever done. "She....She didn't want to get to work...." He answered to him, quickly.  
  
"I see...." He said, smiling at Ryou again. "I think we should open up the cafe now,"  
  
Ryou closed his eyes, sighing. "Yeah...I think we should....I'm going to my room now...." He opened his eyes as he began to go up the stairs.  
  
"Ryou!" Keiichiro called out. Ryou turned around to look at him. "....You really do have feelings for her, don't you?"  
  
Ryou stayed silent. ".....Make sure she starts working. She has been slacking alot lately...." He said, as he ran up into his room.  
  
Keiichiro sighed, scratching his head. "Those two are really strange..." He turned, walking into the kitchen, where he saw Ichigo standing still, staring at a tray she was holding. "That really shocked you, didn't it?" He said, making her jump.  
  
"Keiichiro! I didn't see you there!" Ichigo breathed heavilly, trying to get her mind off of the scene earlier. "I...um...what are talking about?" She asked, pretending to be confused.  
  
He sighed, smiling at her. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about. But you can't just forget about it either. You gonna have to talk to him about it...."  
  
Ichigo closed her eyes. She suddenly remembered the night before and the time she had spent with Masaya. She loved him more than anything. Yet when she was kissing Ryou, it was as if Masaya had never exsisted. She began to grow scared of these feelings and how it would affect her relationship with Masaya. She hated Ryou, so why did she feel something amazing when she had kissed him? Something she had never felt with Masaya.  
  
"Keiichiro...I..." She opened her eyes, but he wasn't there anymore. She sighed, staring at the tray in her hands again. "Do I have feelings for Ryou....?"  
  
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Nya! To be continued! Review! No evil flaming please!! Now for the "To Be Continued" speech! ::clears throat, and starts talking in mysterious voice:: Does Ichigo have feelings for Ryou!? What about her relationship with Masaya!? Will she just forget about him and get with Ryou!? Where did Keiichiro disappear to!? Where are the other girls!? Why is the story called "Escape"!? When will they finally open up Cafe Mew Mew!? All these questions will be answer in the next chapter of "Escape!" Nyao! =^.^= 


	2. The One With The Cupcake

Escape, Chapter Two  
  
Yay! Finally, Chapter two! Whoo hoo! XD This story, I hope, might be a little more than 10 chapters, probably. I still haven't decided so we're just gonna have to see. By the way, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I was being too lazy to type it. .  
  
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Ryou sat on his bed, staring out the window. He still couldn't believe what he had done. He sighed, putting a hand through his hair. "What's wrong with me!? I actually kissed her!" He shouted out to himself. "I feel like kicking myself now!" He glared at the floor below him as he crossed his arms.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, which surprised him. "Come in..." He mumbled, not wanting to stand up and open it himself.  
  
The door opened and in walked Keiichiro. Ryou sighed, knowing he would talk to him about Ichigo, which wasn't what he wanted at the moment. "What is it, Keiichiro?" He asked, laying down on the bed.  
  
"Don't worrt. She's just as confused as you are..." Keiichiro replied, walking to the window.  
  
Ryou chuckled, as he stared at the ceiling. "Why am I not surprised? That dumb strawberry is always confused."  
  
Keiichiro turned his head to Ryou and smiled. "Yet you just can't stand to be without her, can you?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.  
  
Ryou sighed, staying silent for a few seconds, as he sat up. ".....No.....I can't...." He stopped, realizing what he was saying. "You know what? Nevermind what I said. I don't know what came over me."  
  
"Ryou, you should really start talking about your feelings for her. If you keep them locked inside any longer, you're gonna get hurt. You have to tell her!" Keiichiro said.  
  
"Keiichiro! I can't tell her!" Ryou blurted out, without realizing it. He shook his head, turning away. "It wouldn't make a difference if I did anyway...She has a boyfriend that she's crazy about! How can I compare to that!?"  
  
Keiichiro looked at him, sadly. He knew how much Ichigo loved Masaya, but he didn't want to see Ryou hurt by it. "Ryou.....One question....if she had no feelings for you, whatsoever, then.....why did I see her kiss you back?"  
  
Ryou stopped to think about what he had said. He realized he was right and began to wonder. 'Why did she kiss me back? She could of just pushed me away and slapped me. Yet she....why did she do it?' He thought, staring at the ground. "I....I don't know...."  
  
"Ryou," He said, in a serious tone. "That's why you have to talk to her. You have to find out what her feelings for you are. It's the only way that you'll figure out what's really going on between the two of you...." Keiichiro sighed, hoping Ryou would listen to him. He decided not to wait for an answer and walked out of the room.  
  
Ryou laid on the bed, again, and stared at the ceiling. "Ichigo, you baka strawberry.....What have you done to me? I've never ever been this confused in my life. I must have gotten it from you...I think I'm even getting worse than you!" He tried to study the texture of the ceiling in order to take his mind off of her, but no matter what, she was still on his mind. (The ceiling wasn't much help as he realized there wasn't a really interesting texture on there) He sighed, closing his eyes. "Oh god, Ichigo...I love you so much....."  
  
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Ichigo licked her fingers, removing the cream. She stared at the strawberry cupcake in front of her. Cream was all over the place and the strawberries were a bit mushed. To tell the truth, the cupcake looked just plain horrible. But Ichigo smiled, licking more cream from her finger. "I think it looks pretty good!" She exclaimed, with excitement.  
  
Ryou stepped down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Keiichiro, when are you going to open up the ca--?" He stopped, seeing Ichigo standing there. "Oh, sorry. I thought Keiichiro was here."  
  
"Oh...." She replied, nervously. She grapped a cloth and began whipping leftover cream on her hands, as she turned away, being too nervious to stare at him. "He left a while ago. He'll be back soon though."  
  
Ryou spotted the cupcake on the table and stared at Ichigo strangly. "What the hell is that?"  
  
She smiled. "It's my strawberry cupcake! Keiichiro asked me to help make some sweets!"  
  
"That's supposed to be a cupcake!? Is it even edible?" He asked, sweatdropping. He walked closer to her, keeping his eyes on the cupcake.  
  
"Of course it's edible! Why wouldn't it be!?" She glared at him, before sighing. "Alright. I know it may look a bit strange, but it tastes really good!"  
  
"Only a bit strange? That looks nothing like food!" He shouted out, raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
She grabbed the cupcake and handed it to him. "Can you at least try it? If it tastes bad, you can take it off my paycheck or something. Just test it out!" She insisted.  
  
"Hmm...." He said, in thought. "There's a possiblility that I might fall over dead, but I guess I'll give it a try. Afterall, I have nothing to lose...." He took the cupcake and stared at it for a few seconds. He gulped, before taking a small bite.  
  
Ichigo watched impatiently, waiting for his opinion. "Well?" She asked, hoping she had done a good job with the creation of her cupcake.  
  
He slowly chewed, trying to study its taste. It was sweet and almost breath-taking which began to remind him of Ichigo herself. He swallowed the food with his eyes closed.  
  
"Ryou?" He heard her say as he opened his eyes again. He gave her a small smile. "It's....pretty good...."  
  
Her eyes went wide as she jumped up, hugging him. "Oh really!? Thank you so much! You see!? I told you it was good!"  
  
Ryou looked shocked, as she put her arms around him, forcing him into a hug. He blushed slightly, as he hugged her back. "Yeah....though it looks like exploded fruit, it has a good taste to it, I guess."  
  
Ichigo realized what she had been doing and quickly moved away. "I'm sorry! I'm just relieved that it tasted good. I though it would've been horrible!"  
  
He sweatdropped, looking at her. "You mean.....you weren't even sure if it tasted good? Then why were you telling me that you swore that it was good?"  
  
"Well...." She gave him an innocent smile. "I needed someone to try it....and you were the only one around.....and like you said, you had nothing to lose, so....."  
  
His eyes went wide. "Is that why you asked me? I see....Have the guy that no one care about, test it out? Because if it doesn't taste good or something goes wrong, everything will still be ok, cause he's got nothing to lose! It wouldn't be such a big deal because Ryou was the one who tasted it and no one cares about him!" He shouted, suddenly becoming angry.  
  
"No! That's not what I meant! And don't say that! There are a lot of people out there that care about you!" She replied, loudly, not sure of what to tell him.  
  
Ryou laughed, looking away for a second, before turning to her again. "Really? Is that so? Please tell who these people are, because from what I know, there is no one that cares about me!"  
  
"Ryou! That isn't true! Because I care about you!" Ichigo shouted, quickly putting her hands to her mouth, as she gasped. She didn't mean to say that out loud. She wasn't even sure if she had meant it.  
  
He stared at her, confused, unsure of what she meant by that. "Ichigo....what are you talking about?" He asked, stepping closer to her.  
  
"....Um.....Ryou.....I....."She began, staring at him nervously.  
  
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::dramatic music plays in background:: Dun dun dun!!! This is the end of chapter two! Whoo hoo! Two chapters completed! Next up.....Chapter 3! XD Now for the "To Be Continued" Speech! ::cleatrs throat:: ......What did Ichigo mean by what she said? Does she really care about Ryou? Is Ichigo a good cook? Why does her cupcake taste good yet it looks horrible? Where did Keiichiro go off to? How come the girls still aren't there? WHY isn't Cafe Mew Mew open yet!? All these questions will be answered in the next chapter of "Escape"! Though, the cafe mew mew question was supposed to be answered in this chapter. I really do wonder why it hasn't open....x.x 


	3. The One With The Damned Mosquito

Escape, Chapter Three: The One With That Damned Mosquito 

Yes, yes. I finally have chapter three up. I've had it written for months now, but I've been too lazy to actually type it. I have chapters 4 and 5 done too, but it'll probably take a while for me to type those as well. Hopefully, they'll be up next week.

"Ichigo?" He asked with such a sweet tone in his voice. He put his hands on her face as he looked at her sadly. "Ichigo, do you....do you care about me?"

She grew speechless at the sight of his sad eyes. She couldn't find the words to tell him. "Ryou....Ye--" She stopped, hearing the sound of the front doors opening.

"Everybody! I'm back!" Keiichiro shouted, opening the doors to the kitchen. "Hello, you two!" He greeted, with a smile.

Ryou quickly took his hands off her face before Keiichiro could notice. He sighed, wondering why Keiichiro always showed up in the middle of his moments with Ichigo. "Where you've been, Keiichiro?"

"Out," He simply replied, with an even bigger smile. "Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Touch your nose." Ryou answered, quickly. "You shouldn't be so nosey. If anything happes, it shouldn't be your business." He leaned against the wall, as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He didn't usually talk to Keiichiro like that, but at that moment, he felt so of upset that he couldn't have kept a moment alone with Ichigo. Especially when she was about to tell him what she felt about him.

"Aww!" Keiichiro responded. "I just want to make sure everything's okay. I wouldn't want anything wrong to happen to any of you..."

Ichigo wasn't exactly sure what Keiichiro was talking about. Was he trying to get them together or keep them apart? Did he leave earlier so they could have been alone together? Or did he show up to make sure Ichigo didn't say anything that would make something happen? Afterall, Keiichiro never gave a reason as to why he had left. Maybe it had to do with the two of them.

"Keiichiro, you really shouldn't worry so much. If anything happens, it can easily be dealed with." Ryou said, not wanting to discuss this conversation anymore.

"Um...how about you try my cupcake, Keiichiro?" Ichigo asked, not wanting an argument to occur at any moment between Keiichiro and Ryou. If this all had to do with her, she didn't want to let things get out of hand.

Keiichiro nodded at Ryou. Maybe Ryou was right about it not being his business. Maybe he should start letting them realize their feelings for each other on their own, without his help. He turned to Ichigo and smiled. "Of course, Ichigo! I'd love to!"

Ichigo handed the cupcake to Keiichiro, smiling. She, then, turned to Ryou and sighed. Why was it so hard to figure out what she felt about him? Why was she even thinking she was in love with him? Afterall, it was Ryou. She was with Masaya, and there was no way she could just leave him for Ryou. Just because she felt wonderful when she was with him, it didn't mean she had feelings for him, right?

Keiichiro took a bite and smiled. "It tastes really good, Ichigo. Good job! Maybe you can help out around the kitchen today!" He exclaimed.

Ichigo's eyes brightened.She had always wanted to be in the kitchen to help. Waitressing was way too tiring since she was probably the only one who actually worked anyway. She gave him a big smile. "Keiichiro, I'd love t--!"

"Sorry, but Ichigo is more needed as a waitress. She can help in the kitchen some other time." Ryou cut her off, as he took her by the wrist and began to take her out of the kitchen. "Come on, Ichigo. You have work to do."

"But the cafe's not even open yet!" She protested, as she was dragged out of the kitchen. "Keiichiro!"

But Keiichiro didn't do anything to stop Ryou and sighed, watching them leave. "Hopefully, he'll tell her soon....." He whispered, closing her eyes. "Hopefully..."

Ryou held Ichigo's wrist tighter, as he began to pull her up the stairs. He had to talk to her now. If he didn't he might not have another chance.

"Ryou! Where are we going!?" She asked, trying to pull his fingers off of her wrist with her free hand. "The cafe's down there! I don't work up here!"

"I know you don't. Right now, you're not going to work." He stated, opening the door to his room and pulling her inside. "Besides, the cafe's not even open."

"But......that's what I told you a while ago! Why are you even bringing me here!?" She stared at him in confusion. "Okay, this is just weird. You have me all confused now, you know!" She complained, still trying to go free from him.

Ryou sweatdropped, finally letting her go as he shut the door. "First of all, you're always confused. Second, we have to talk about us and what happened earlier. Third, don't think that when we're done talking here you won't be working, but after this conversation is over, you're going straight downstairs to get your job done. And fourth...." He stopped, hesitating to speak any forward. But he had to speak. He had to tell her the truth. "And fourth.....I love---!"

"Oww!" Ichigo cried out in pain, as she looked at her arm. "I think a mosquito bit me. It hurts! And I think I'm bleeding!"

Ryou sweatdropped yet again. It seemed every moment was ruined, even when Keiichiro wasn't there. He stepped closer to Ichigo and grabbed her arm. "It's not that big of a deal. I don't know what you're whining about." He pulled her arm close to his face and kissed the spot where the bite was.

Ichigo blushed, as he kissed her arm. 'What is he doing?' She wondered, though all of a sudden she wasn't thinking about the bite anymore and the pain suddenly went away. "Um......."

Ryou sighed, annoyingly. "But if you want, I can get you a bandage, you big baby," He mumbled, taking her arm and pulling her near his desk. He grabbed a first-aid kit that was next to his computer and pulled out a small bandage.

"Um....Ryou?" She whispered, watching him.

"Yeah?" He responded, as he slowly put the bandage on her arm.

She bit her lower lip, hesitating to ask. "What was the fourth thing you were going to tell me?"

He sighed, thinking. He couldn't tell her now. All those interuptions were signs that it wasn't time yet. "It's nothing. Just forget about it." He answered, giving her a rare smile.

She nodded, smiling back at him. "Okay....and thanks. For the bandage, I mean."

"No problem. Whatever." He stared at her for a few seconds, before turning away.

"We should....go back downstairs now..." He began to walk towards the door, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Ichigo?" He stared at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I-I-I....u-um...." She stuttered. "I....um....I need to know...."

He blinked, before he moved closer to her and put a hand on her chin. "Ichigo, what is it you want to know?"

"Ryou...." She started, taking a deep breath. "Why did you kiss me?"

::clears throat for the usual speech:: Why didn't Ryou just tell Ichigo the truth? Why are there always interuptions when Ichigo and Ryou are together? Where did that darn mosquito come from? Will Ryou ever tell Ichigo he loves her? What will he answer to Ichigo? Why in the world of rapid chipmunks has the cafe not been open yet!? WILL it ever open!? Why am I taking so long to finish this story!? ::coughs:: Um, that's all for now. Till next time! ;;;


	4. The One With The Realizations

Escape - Chapter Four: The One With The Realizations

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Greetings, fellow friends. This is another update for Escape, yes. Sorry I'm taking so long. But, hey! I've been pretty busy you know. Anyway, I really don't know where this story is going. I originally had it all planned out, but, uh...I don't think it's going too great. And what the heck will I do about Masaya? Make him fall off a bridge? Make him confess that's he's really a girl and he marries Francis? Just stick him in a pickle jar? ACK!Feel free to send in suggestions.

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Also, I realized that I might have gone a bit out of character with everybody, especially Ryou. It's really hard to write as a serious, mysterious character like Ryou. I made him pretty obvious and all lovey dovey in a way. x-x Ichigo seems to be pretty off, too. I mean, she's easily giving in to everything that's happening with Ryou. Maybe she should've fought it all a bit. Either way, this is my story, so nya. I'll just keep it the way it already is, but I'll try to get Ryou back to normal.  
"I-I-I...u-um..." She stuttered. "I...um...I need to know..."

He blinked, before he moved closer to her and put a hand on her chin. "Ichigo, what is it you want to know?"

"Ryou..." She started, taking a deep breath. "Why did you kiss me?"

He took a step back away from her, as his eyes grew wide. 'Why is she asking me this? What is she expecting me to tell her? That I love her and all that I wanted was to be with her? And that the reason for the kiss was just a way to show her how I feel? I don't think so! I mean, it wasn't exactly all a lie, but...wait! What am I saying? Of course it's a lie! Well, I guess I do love her, but...I know I'm not supposed to...' He kept thinking in his mind, fighting with himself about the truth of his feelings.

He really didn't have an answer for her. At least, not one he could say outloud. On the outside, he stood with a straight face, with a calm expression of thinking. On the inside, he was struggling, nervously, hoping he wouldn't give a stupid reply.

"For what other reason would I do it? I was keeping you from getting lazy and deciding not to do anything. Apparently, I've done everything else to get you to work, so this was my only choice left. That's all." He spoke with confidence, hoping she wouldn't sense the worry he was feeling. He didn't want his true feelings to be revealed, because he felt they weren't meant to become real.

But Ichigo was disappointed. She knew Ryou didn't reveal much, but she at least expected a more reasonable answer. Was his reason really just to get her to work? She kept her thoughts inside, though, and decided to let him hide his feelings for that moment. "Okay, I understand. I guess it sort of actually worked, nya?"

He smirked, crossing his arms. "And hopefully, it taught you a good lesson, you baka strawberry. If it put some sense into that small mind of yours, I won't have to do it again."

Suddenly, she blushed, putting Ryou in confusion. 'What if I want you to?' She thought, before turning a few more shades of red, as she heard her own thoughts. 'OH MY GOD! Why would I WANT him to? I mean, I don't want to kiss him again! Eww! Cooties!'

Ryou noticed her face turn red and raised an eyebrow, as he smirked again. "What's wrong with you? Are you upset that I might not do it again?" He joked, with a chuckle.

The comment forced her to blush more than before. 'Can he read minds or something? Ugh! Why am I so red? Once again! I repeat! The cooties!' She argued in her mind about the thoughts that were storming through her mind.

Still, Ryou once again noticed. He also couldn't understand her reason for blushing so much. 'Is she sick or something? Cause I didn't say anything.' His smirk went away as he tried to figure her out. "Ichigo?"

She gave a nervous laugh, shaking her head. "N-no! Of course not! W-w-why in the world would I wany you to kiss me again?"

He sighed, giving a small smile. "You're such an idiot, you know that?"

"Well, you're just a big meanie! And I am not an idiot! I'm just...um...I'm...just...sick! Yeah! I'm sick!" She complained, faking a cough.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are. Either way, you're still gonna get back to work. No excuse will get you out of doing that, just so you know."

Ichigo's eyes went wide. "What? After everything that's happened, you're still gonna just make me work?"

"First of all, what's 'everything'? We simply kissed once. Not a big deal. And nothing else has happened. Second, of course you're going to work. You still work here, don't you? I would have fired you already, but I really can't afford to lose any employees."

She pouted, but made no other complaints. He was actually sort of right, considering that just because they kissed, there was no real reason for getting off of work.

She motioned towards the door, getting ready to walk out, but he grabbed her hand, pulling her back. "Wha?" A blush appeared on her face again, as she stared down at his hand, which was holding hers.

He finally realized what he had done, but he didn't let her go. "Ichigo...?"

She blinked countlessly for a few minutes, unsure of what exactly he was doing. "Um...yes?"

"What...um..." He closed his eyes, sighing, having slight trouble trying to speak, which wasn't a common sight with Ryou. He took a deep breath, opening his eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"You know what I mean, you idiot."

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do, idiot."

"No, I don't. And I'm not an idiot."

"If you don't, then you're obviously an idiot."

"Oh, shut up and tell me what it is already."

He looked straight at her, though this time, he didn't have the expression he usually wore. Now his glance seemed warm and gentle, which wasn't too Ryou-like. The scene itself made Ichigo blush for what seemed like the fourty-second time that dat.

"What would you...what would you do if I kissed you again?"

She froze, eyes growing wide. 'WHAT?' How can he ask me that?' She couldn't talk now, for her voice got caught in her throat. 'I can't lie to him, I know. But there's is no way I can tell him the truth either! Wait, what truth? The truth is I'm in love with Masaya and that's it! But if he were to kiss me again, then I think I'd...'

"I'd kiss you back." She answered simply, though she couldn't believe her answer after she spoke. 'Did I just say THAT?'

Now Ryou was the one to turn a deep shade of red. 'Hold on! She's kidding, right? I mean, I expected a slap in the face or maybe even a kick in the shin, not to mention a long lecture, but THAT? There's no way she meant that."

"Wha...? But why? I mean, you just...but you...can't just..." He was completely speechless. He really couldn't figure out a way to respond. Afterall, he hadn't even seen that answer coming.

She bit her lip, looking away. Maybe it was wrong of her to say that. Maybe she should've just blacked out or something that would've kept her from saying anything at all. "Well, I dunno. That's just what, um...I really don't know..."

Ryou smiled, as he took her hands and kissed her forehead. "You never know anything, do you, you baka strawberry?"

She looked up at him, pouting. "That's just rude, you big meanie! And just so you know, I'm not as stupid as you seem to think! And I'm not just a baka..." She trailed off, as he moved closer to her. "...a baka...strawberry..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, Ichigo, you really are a baka. But nothing personal, so don't worry." He leaned in, kissing her softly. It wasn't as strong and deep as the first one, but instead sweet and precious.

For once, she didn't blush, and instead, she went up on the tip of her toes to reach his height and kissed him again.

He had taken her actions by surprise, for he didn't really think she'd really do it. Still, he kissed her back, feeling as though this had been a once-in-a-lifetime moment. He loved her, and though there was a possiblity that she returned no feelings for him, this was as good as it was going to get.

Doing something he hadn't done in a long time, he put his hand on the door handle and locked it. Knowing how bad his luck was running lately, he wouldn't be taking any chances that he might get interuppted once again.

She had heard the door being locked, though she didn't mind. What was really bothering her was her own feelings. She didn't seem to be thinking about Masaya or any of her feelings for him. For some reason, all she cared about was having Ryou with her at that moment and sharing this time with him. 'I don't know what this all means or if there's even a way I can understand it all, but I might actually be in lov'

Her thoughts were interuppted, when Ryou slowly pulled away from her. "Ichigo...I can't do this. I mean...you're with Masaya. You're in love with him and you two are together." He whispered, trying his best not to look at her. "So this probably isn't the best thing to do right now, you know?"

Ichigo couldn't understand it. How was it possible that Ryou was worried about her relationship with Masaya when she wasn't even thinking of him? For some reason, her only concern was being able to be with Ryou. "Um...yeah. You're right. And um...maybe I should go now. Hopefully the cafe will open soon and I can get to work."

Ryou nodded his head, as he unlocked the door, not saying much. "Yeah..."

"And...I'm sorry for this."

"...Sorry for what? Nothing happened, you baka. So, hurry up! I'm this close to cutting off your pay for the day!" He replied, bringing back his old self, as he opened the door and walked out.

Ichigo felt a tear drop from the corner of her eye, but quickly wiped it away, shaking her head. 'Why am I feeling his way about him? I'm in love with Masaya! Masaya and I are together and there's no way that Ryou's going to get in the way of that! Because I can't possibly be in love with Ryou...right?"

Snapping back to reality, she chuckled to herself, muttering on how ridiculous this day had been. "You just need some rest, Ichigo. That's it." She told herself, out loud. "Though asking Ryou for a day off is totally out of the question."

Ichigo went downstairs to the main area, though she saw no sign of neither Ryou or Keiichiro. She sighed, wondering where they had gone now, just before she heard giggling from the kitchen. It was definitely not Keiichiro nor Ryou, considering the world would be taken over by aliens before either of them recieves a high pitched voice, so Ichigo just guessed that it must have been the other girls.

"They must all be here already..." She said, before walking into the kitchen. As she had gone, Ryou appeared from hiding behind the stairs. He stayed silent, contemplating his thoughts about the day's events.

"Ichigo!" said a voice from behind him.

He jumped up to find Keiichiro, arms crossed, looking back at him. "Keiichiro? Don't scare me like that!"

"Oh...I thought you were Ichigo."

"Oh, really? What gave me away?"

Keiichiro shook his head. "Funny, Ryou. You aren't the type to get scared of simple things like this. Seeing you jump about three feet in the air, I really could have mistaken you for Ichigo."

"Please, don't compare me to that darn kitten."

"You're a kitten too, you know."

"No, I'm a cat. I'm not a kitten."

"Ryou..."

Ryou sighed, giving no other response. Speaking of Ichigo, he realized there was no way he could look at her face to face again.

"You didn't tell her, did you? But you did kiss her, didn't you?"

Ryou looked at his friend in shock. "How in the world would you know, anyway? Are you spying on me?"

Keiichiro sighed, giving a frown. "I know you too well, Ryou. You aren't one who's honest with your feelings."

Ryou turned away, seeing as how he might've been right. He really did have problems with his feelings didn't he? "Keiichiro...?"

"Hmm? Yes, Ryou?"

"I tried...I really did."

"...I know. I understand how hard it is."

"She's with someone else, though." He said, honestly. "It wouldn't work out anyway. She's happy with him, you know. And I can't just confess to a girl who's in love with someone else. She loves him. She really does."

"Does she really? Strange how she'd kiss someone she didn't love, even when she was with someone else."

"What's that supposed to be?"

Keiichiro just smiled. "Why don't you try figuring this one out?"

"...I hate it when you're smarter than me."

* * *

Ichigo stepped into the kitchen, expecting to find four lazy/clumsy/crazy/calm girls standing around, getting read for work. But instead, she found all four girls staring at her, curiously with sparkling eyes. "Oh god...what happened? Did a chimera anima eat everyone and replace them with you hypnotized numbskulls?"

Mint gave a chuckle. "Oh, Ichigo, we know exactly what you did..."

Ichigo's eyes went wife as she gave a nervous laugh. "Haha...you're kidding, right? I mean, I'm sure whatever happened, we can work it out..."

"Ichigo..." Mint muttered. "You sneaky little girl!"

Ichigo jumped. "Ahh! I swear it wasn't me!"

With that, Pudding bounced over to her cheerfully. "You kissed him! Oh, yes you did, na no da!" She hugged Ichigo tight. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Ichigo turned a deep shade of red, almost fainting. "Whaaa? How do you know about that?"

"Well, you did do it out in the open." Lettuce noted.

"You guys were watching us?"

"It was actually difficult not to when you were right in front of us..." said Zakuro, calmly, though Ichigo was now panicking.

"Way to go, Ichigo. You've made yourself quite a mushy queen!" Mint added, as Masha floated up.

"Mushy queen! Mushy queen!"

"You guys! This really wasn't intended! I mean, it just happened out of nowhere!"

Lettuce blinked. "Ichigo, what are you so woried for? We're actually quite happy for you."

"Happy? You're happy for me?"

"Isn't this what Ichigo wanted, na no da?" Pudding leaped up, still smiling.

"Wanted? Well, not exactly, actually..."

Mint's eyes went wide. "Not exactly?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Wasn't this like your dream come true or something?"

"Dream come true? Really, I have no idea what you're all talking about! I mean, I admit, it wasn't so bad, but this wasn't supposed to happen. I mean, how can I just kiss Ryou?"

The girls froze, as their smiles disappeared.

"You...did what?" Mint asked with shock.

"Um...kiss Ryou? I mean, wasn't that what you were just talking about?"

"No, we were talking about you and your boyfriend."

"Didn't you kiss Masaya after work yesterday?"

"You kissed Masaya, yes, na no da?"

"When did you kiss Ryou?"

"WHAT?" Ichigo screamed, falling over.

"You mean to say that you kissed Ryou too?" Mint asked with curiousity.

"Um...no?" Ichigo answered, chuckling nervously.

Pudding hugged Ichigo again, before jumping around in circles. "You kissed Ryou! Kiss! Kiss! Na no da!"

Mint snickered. "How lucky can you be? First you have Masaya. And now you have Ryou too!"

"You don't need to say it like that, Mint!" Ichigo complained, wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into. "And besides, there is nothing even going on between me and Ryou anyway! I mean, sure, we kissed once, but...well, twice, anyway...but that doesn't really mean anything, okay?"

The rest of the girls stared at her in utter surprise. "Twice?" They questioned in unison.

Ichigo quickly shut her mouth, realizing she was getting herself into more trouble. Why couldn't she just stop talking already? "T-t-twice? No! Of course not! Why would I kiss Ryou twice?" It was pointless to deny it. Ichigo had always really been a bad liar, and she was always easily figured out. Even this time, she was pretty obvious.

"But Ichigo, what about Masaya?" Lettuce asked, being in confusion along with the rest of the girls.

"I'm still with Masaya! What even happened with me and Ryou was just an accident!"

Zakuro stepped up, shaking her head. "It's easy to see a lie in there. Some things we say and some things we do may be accidents created by simple mistakes. But...kissing a boy is never an accident. And seeing as how you kissed Ryou twice, that shouws that it isn't just some clumsy mistake..."

With that, Zakuro walked out, leaving Ichigo to contemplate once more with earlier events. If it wasn't just a mistake, then what exactly was it?

"Ichigo! That is so not fair!" Mint shouted, causing her to return back to reality.

"Nyaaa?"

"Why is it that you're always the one getting advice from her? Do you realize how lucky you are?"

Lettuce just smiled. "That is so cute! Ichigo and Ryou must be in love!"

Mint snickered yet again. "Love? Ha. Even without love, Ichigo gets to kiss Ryou whenever she wants."

But Ichigo wasn't listening to what they were saying. She had other things to worry about. "I'm...supposed to love Masaya. Nothing was supposed to happen with Ryou. I didn't plan any of this..."

Mint sighed. "Ichigo, nothing in life is ever planned. Did you plan to become a mew mew? Did you plan to meet any of us? Did you plan to save the world?"

"She's right..." Lettuce whispered. "We didn't plan to become mew mews, but look at us now. It might be the same with you and Ryou."

Ichigo sweatdropped. "You comparing becoming superheroes to falling in love with Ryou? Oh, please! Sure, I didn't plan on being a mew mew, but falling for Ryou can totally be canceled out."

Pudding gave an evil grin. "Maybe you were like destined to fall in love and be together! Na no da! But, if you don't want to, you can take this hate pill that's been in my family for ages and you can hate him again!"

The girls looked at Pudding with blank faces before deciding to ignore the comment.

"I think..." Ichigo began, not looking straight at the girls. "I think...that I was to do it. I think that...I want to be in love with Ryou."

Mint stared in surprise. "Are you serious? You really want this? See? I told you this would happen! Pudding, you owe me 25,000 yen!"

Pudding just kepy bouncing around happily. "Pudding owes Mint nothing, na no da!"

"PUDDING!"

But as the other girls continued to argue, Ichigo paid no attention to them. Had she really just said that? Did she really want to fall in love with Ryou? But what about Masaya?

"Good morning, girls." Her thoughts were interuppted as Keiichiro stepped into the kitchen.

"Oh! Oh!" Good morning, Keiichiro!" greeted Pudding, who hopped around on the kitchen tables.

"Is the cafe opening yet?" Mint asked, crossing her arms impatiently. It seemed like work was never going to start.

Keiichiro took a moment to think about this. "Not just yet. I think we should wait a little longer before opening up."

Ichigo's eyes widen in disbelief. Still not opening? This was the longest morning she had ever experienced.

"Fine, I'm going to have some morning tea." Mint muttered, walking out of the kitchen.

"Pudding is going to try some new tricks!" She cheered, rushing out.

Lettuce rushed after her. "Wait up, Pudding! You're gonna break the tables!"

Thus, that left only Keiichiro and Ichigo alone in the kitchen.

"I should probably go keep the girls out of trouble." Keiichiro noted, as he began to step out as well, but Ichigo stopped him, before he could leave.

"Um...wait!" She shouted, feeling as though she could talk to him about what she had been feeling lately.

"Oh, is there something you need, Ichigo?" He questioned, in confusion.

"Um...well...there's something that I realized and wasn't sure what to think of it."

"What is it?"

Ichigo hesitated to speak, making sure this was how she really felt. "I'm...I'm in love with Ryou..."

* * *

That took FOREVER! Chapter 4 is the longest chapter I've written so far and I never want to write it again! Ever! Now this leaves me to write chapter five. And I have no idea what to write for it. But I'll figure out something. Don't worry. But who knows when it'll be up? Bah. But anyway...Is Ichigo really in love with Ryou? Will Ryou finally be able to tell Ichigo the truth? And what will Ichigo do about Masaya? And is there going to be a third kiss? Why won't Keiichiro open the stupid cafe? Ack! X-x 


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